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I quit drinking for a year

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Re: I quit drinking for a year

#101

Post by kyleee »

Ronsenshi wrote: post #63
HerbManic wrote: post #35

Maybe it is just me but I had never had any major issues in regulating consumption of stuff like this? Alcohol is all well a good but it never became a habit or diet if you will. Even when I found out I had a dairy allergy, dropping all milks/cheese and whatnot was just a case of remembering to do it, no lasting desire for it. But Caffeine... oh man that is a tough one.

This comments section is bizarre in general. Very few comments from people who don't seem to have an issue with control over their alcohol consumption where they can enjoy a glass without it becoming a problem. Naturally it's good that people who do have a problem can recognize it and stop it from affecting their life, but I feel like there has to be more people who are perfectly OK with irregular consumption of ligh…

You really find it bizarre that people who have trouble with moderation are active participants in a discussion about alcohol?

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#102

Post by abought »

Per your comment about the effect on socialization: hang in there! That space is improving!

I've never gone for drinking, and it was deeply ingrained in the social and startup experience when I was younger. This could be a bit alienating at times (it's not fun being the only sober person at a party, and there's just no right way to refuse a kegstand invite from your boss).

One of the surprising outcomes of dry january and general aging... in some ways, I'm getting to know my long-time peers for the first time. More mixer events are providing non-alcoholic drinks as a first class item, and when we socialize, instead of pressuring me to do shots, we're sharing all the other stuff I enjoyed doing all along: trading favorite tea blends, day hikes, game nights, etc.

I've never met the author, but for anyone else considering this: Welcome, new old friend!

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#103

Post by prewett »

FeloniousHam wrote: post #99
steve1977 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's kind of what I did. I initially stopped for a month for some health reasons. That became another month. And another one. And now it's a bit more than 4 years. The interesting thing is, when I quit smoking (almost 20 years ago), I knew I must never touch a cigarette again. I think with alcohol, I could have some wine or beer occassionaly, I just don't feel the need for it anymore.

Totally agree. I was non-professional smoker for a long time, and quit many, many times. Even after years, I'll get this "you know what'd great?" tap on the shoulder. One cigarette is not a slippery slope, it's a vertical cliff drop. I love booze in all its forms, but it doesn't have the same pull.

I'm curious, what is a professional smoker?

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#104

Post by FeloniousHam »

prewett wrote: post #103
FeloniousHam wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally agree. I was non-professional smoker for a long time, and quit many, many times. Even after years, I'll get this "you know what'd great?" tap on the shoulder. One cigarette is not a slippery slope, it's a vertical cliff drop. I love booze in all its forms, but it doesn't have the same pull.

I'm curious, what is a professional smoker?

It was a weak joke I made-- I _could_ quit or go without, but I was always nearby to real addicts and ended up smoking a lot for a long time. Also, I didn't inhale deeply or hold the smoke like the "professionals".

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#105

Post by bkjelden »

techcode wrote: post #85
bkjelden wrote: post #41

Interesting, over the last 18 months or so I've dabbled with both quitting/aggressively cutting back on drinking as well as aggressively cutting back on sweets (some periods where I've been super dedicated and others where I'm not). Counter to OP's experience, I've actually found sweets to be more impactful than alcohol. That is to say eating dessert after dinner will impact my sleep more than a drink or two, and the…

How/what are you basing your "sweets/desert impacts my sleep more than a drink or two" on? I was waking up an hour or more before the alarm (so waking up Then after stopping alcohol I started sleeping longer. Specifically waking up later, at least for the first few weeks. Seemingly alcohol was causing earlier waking due to spiking cortisol too early. While waking-up time took a few weeks to recalibrate. Already 2-3 d…

It's based on the sleep tracking data my fitness watch gives me, but also just based on how I rested I feel the next day, since I know there's limitations to the data quality a watch can give you.

I have noticed the early waking thing with alcohol, but for me that's never really an issue after a drink or two - only at higher consumption levels do I really have that problem (along with the bad dreams/nightmares that many have after drinking).

One other thing I've realized while experimenting with this is that I tend to be sleep better when I'm cooler - so anything that would raise my body temperature has a huge negative impact on sleep quality. This could be large amounts of alcohol, or it could be lots of sugar in the evenings, or a salty/starchy meal late in the day, etc. This seems to be a more important variable than anything else I've observed.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#106

Post by hyperadvanced »

FeloniousHam wrote: post #98
anarazel wrote: post #7

I stopped drinking a few years back, after some (unrelated) health stuff. I don't miss wine, beer, that stopped - like for the author - after a relatively short amount of time. But interestingly I still really miss the feeling of a good scotch after a long day. Not being buzzed, but the sharpness mixed with interesting tastes. My sleep has gotten so much better. I really didn't realize that alcohol didn't affect just…

100% on sleep. I drink regularly, and very much enjoy it, but I'm always cognizant of the price I'm going to pay in good sleep. I've started not drinking at home as simple way to curb consumption without giving it up entirely.

This is what I do 3-4 nights a week. I sleep pretty well if I stick to that and don’t drink a ton in one sitting.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#107

Post by pwdisswordfishs »

FeloniousHam wrote: post #99
steve1977 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's kind of what I did. I initially stopped for a month for some health reasons. That became another month. And another one. And now it's a bit more than 4 years. The interesting thing is, when I quit smoking (almost 20 years ago), I knew I must never touch a cigarette again. I think with alcohol, I could have some wine or beer occassionaly, I just don't feel the need for it anymore.

Totally agree. I was non-professional smoker for a long time, and quit many, many times. Even after years, I'll get this "you know what'd great?" tap on the shoulder. One cigarette is not a slippery slope, it's a vertical cliff drop. I love booze in all its forms, but it doesn't have the same pull.

I've gotten those taps on the shoulder. Every time I went for it, I ended up thinking, "Geez. What was I expecting to be good about this? This experience is awful."

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#108

Post by [deleted] »

ffsm8 wrote: post #66
browningstreet wrote: post #18

I remember a bar acquaintance who stopped drinking for a year. I saw him when that year was up and I asked him how it went. “I didn’t notice any changes, so I’m quitting for another year.”

Tbf, if you're not drinking much (eg only once per week or month) a moderate amount - so not enough to get drunk... Then your body is able to handle that. Statistically you're still more likely to get cancer etc, but that's still a pretty low likelihood, hence... Complete abstinence may be healthiest, but is also unnecessary.

[deleted]

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#109

Post by browningstreet »

ffsm8 wrote: post #66
browningstreet wrote: post #18

I remember a bar acquaintance who stopped drinking for a year. I saw him when that year was up and I asked him how it went. “I didn’t notice any changes, so I’m quitting for another year.”

Tbf, if you're not drinking much (eg only once per week or month) a moderate amount - so not enough to get drunk... Then your body is able to handle that. Statistically you're still more likely to get cancer etc, but that's still a pretty low likelihood, hence... Complete abstinence may be healthiest, but is also unnecessary.

He wasn't someone who was "not drinking much".

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#110

Post by Chilko »

charles_f wrote: post #14

This is inspiring, you might have convinced me to do the same, if only for the sleep part. One thing that I'd miss is the taste though, I don't drink soda or sugary drinks, and I can't think of a replacement for the taste of good wine, beer or spirits. (there's good dealcoolized beers nowadays but it feels like cheating). Not that I guess one absolutely needs it, but is still part of the culinary experience. It's pro…

You could try fermented drinks like Kefir or Kombucha? Otherwise I quite enjoy sparkling water with some enhancements like lime, or cucumber mint flavour drops
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